Reed and backstay adjustment for looms



Sept. 12, 1933. E. R. HOLMES 1,926,383

REED AND BACKSTAY ADJUSTMENT FOR LOOMS Filed June 11. 1951 r mjcntor'Gtbridge R.Ho\mes attorneys Patented Sept. 12, 1933- UNITED STATES PATEQ E Elbridge It. Holmes, Worcester, 'Mass.,' assig' nor to Crompton--&Knowles Loom-Works, Worces-' ter, Mass, a corporation of MassachusettsApplication June 11,1931. Serial No. 543,625 20 Claims. (01. 139-489)This invention relates to improvements in mountings for loom reeds andit isthe general object of the invention to provide means whereby a reedmay be given various setting transversel and longitudinally of the lay.j

It is another object ofmy present invention to provide the reed. with amounting slidably connectedto the lay so that the reed as a whole maymove parallel to the lay to accommodate slight variations in thedirection of feed of the warp and cloth. This sliding connection'maypreferably though not necessarilytake the form of ,a pivotalconnectionbet-ween the reed and the lay,in which case the reed can moveboth transversely and longitudinally of the lay to accommodate variousconditions arising in the operation of the loom.

Loom reeds are ordinarily carried in a fixed position with respect tothe lay but their con-.

4 stant beating against the fell of the cloth wears the reed wires,necessitating a change of vertical position-in order to prevent cuttingof the filling;

It is a further object of my invention toprovide improved means to varythe position of the reed relatively to the cloth line of the loom.

The cloth line-is determined to some extent by a-warp engaging rod,preferably of glass, and it is another object of my invention to be ableto adjust this rod relativelyto the reed.

. It is a still further objectof my invention to provide an adjustablepositioner for the lower rib of the reed to be located on the laybypositioning elements, such as screws to determine the relation of thereed relatively to the lay.

It is-another object of my invention to provide means for holding thetop ofthe reed adjustably against a surface which may be parallel to orextend at least longitudinally of the lay to permit vertical.adjustments of the reed. 7 With these andot'her; objects in view whichwill appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in thecombination and arrangement of .parts hereinafter describedand set forthin the claims. I

In the accompanying drawing, wherein aiconvenient embodiment of myinventionis set forth, 'Fig. 1 is avertical transverse section through alay made according to my present invention,

Fig-. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in'Fig. 1 andshowing the reed in one adjustedposition, r a i Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticview similar to apart of Fig. 1. on a reduced scale showing the reed intwo adjusted positions vertically,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view taken from the lowerend is. formed; asavertical web 25.

back of the loom and showing the reed in three different-positionstransversely ofthe cloth, and

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section on line 55 of. Fig. 2. j

Reierring to the drawing, .1 havev shown a lay supported by lay swordsone of which is indicated at 11 in Fig.2. The lay may be made of aWooden beam or the like and has on the top thereof the customary raceplate 12 of the shuttle. At each end of the lay is a lay. end 13 havingan upwardly extending horn 14. 'Each of the latter supports afoot l5-of'a bearing 16' andthe foot is provided with" slots 17 through whichextend bolts lfi'threaded into the arm 14. The bearingis thereforeadjusted vertically to assume a pin rality'of positions withrespect tothe raoe'plate and lay 12. j V

The bearing 16 supports a stud 20 which projects toward the center ofthe loom and has slidably and rotatably mounted thereon a -pivot element21. The latter is connected by bolts 22 as shown in Fig. 2 to a handrailsection 23 formed T-shape as shown in Fig. 1.. The top of this sectionsupports a wooden hand hold 24, while the A retaining plate 26 has ahorizontal foot2'l held against theweb by. screws 28, the lower end ofthe plate forcing the top rib 229 of the reed R against the section 25.By varying the position'of the rib 29 relatively to the parts 25 and 26the reed can be raised or lowered'with respect to the hand rail and alsothe stud-20. A further vertical adjustment of the reed may be se-; curedby manipulating the nuts 18, the slots 17 permitting movement of the topstructure as a whole relatively to the lay.

The rear upper edge ofthe lay is notched as at 30,. having verticalandhorizontal walls Y31 and 32, respectively. Horizontal positioning screws33 pass through the lay wood and project somewhat beyond the verticalwall 31, being held by rear and front nuts 34 and 3 5, respectively. Areed positioner 36 L-shape'in section has a' vertical web 37 whichengages the positioning screws 33, while the horizontal part 38 .bearsagainst the rib 40; being supported onat least two levers ,4? one ofwhich is shown in 'Figs. 1 and 2. .Each of these levershas at the.

- is slotted and receives a tightening-orclamping lower end thereof ahub 48 which pivots around a stud 49 carried by a bracket 50. The latterextends upwardly and has slot 51 through which extend securing bolts 52.The latter are held by a depending support 53 secured to the under sideof the lay. The support is provided-with an ear 54 whichextends'substantially parallel to a similar ear 55 formed on the lever47. A bolt 56 extends through the ears and has at the rear end thereof ahead 57 bearing against the ear 55 under pressure of a compressionspring 58' The backstay can be moved vertically'witlr respect to the layby adjusting the bolts 52 and it will be seen that the ears 54 and 55both'move together, sothat an adjustmentof the-bracket 50 moves thelever 47, ear 54, and the bolt 56,

K thereby preserving this part of the structure in proper relation forits various adjustedpositions. As shown in Fig. 3, the hand rail andreed are shown in relatively low position. in full lines and in adjustedraised position in dotted lines,'indicating-the'manner of changing thepoint at which the beat-up occurs on the reed. Fig. 4 shows the reed inthe central position with respect to the loom in full lines, the dottedlines 60 at the right indicating that the reed as a whole can move tothe right along the studs 20, while the dottedlines at the left indicatethe opposite movement of the reed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided meansfor givingthe reed a variety of movements bothvertically and'longitudinallyof thelay. It will also be seen that I have provided means for convenientlyvarying the vertical position of the glass rod 46 and also preserve theyielding connection between the lever 47 and the bracket 50. In thisconnection it is to be understood that spring 58 resists rearwardmovement of the backstay. Furthermore, the reed can move parallel to thelay against the sliding re-,-

sistance of spring 58. I

Having thus describedmyinvention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and'I do not wishto belimited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

' 1. In a loom having a lay, a reed, a supporting structure for the reedhaving detachable holding relation with the reed and capable of relativeadjustment with respect to the reed longitudinally of the lay, andsliding connections between the reed structure and lay extending'in adirection parallel to the lay, the reed and structure responsive on anypick of the loom to move longitudinally of the lay in either directionby forces transmitted through the warp.

2. Ina loom having a lay, a reed, and means defining pivotal and slidingconnections between the reed and lay, said connections having coactingsurfaces extending parallel to the lay, the reed and means responsive onany pick of the loom to move longitudinally of the lay in eitherdirection the lay, said means to move the reed and structure as a unitto different positions relatively to the lay and transversely of theplane of the cloth,

This

said means extending parallel to the lay and the structure beingslidable by reason of said means in a direction parallel to the plane ofthe cloth.

5. In a loom, a lay, a reed, supporting structure for the top of thereed, yielding means to posi- 'tion the bottom of the reed, and slidingconnecallel to the lay.-

6. In a loom, a lay, a reed, supporting structure for the topof the reedconstituting the support for the reed against gravity, yielding meansindependent of the supporting structure to position, the bottom ofthcreed, and sliding connections between the structure and lay parallel tothe latter to render the reed movable at any time along the lay byforces exerted by the warp parallel to the lay, the yielding meansexerting a force'tran versely of the lay, andthe reed being slidablerelatively to the yielding'means in a direction parallel to the lay. r

7. In a loom, a lay, a reed, supporting structure for the top of thereed, yielding means to' position the bottom of the reed, and slidingconnections betweenjthe structure and lay parallel to the latter torender the reed movable atany time along the lay by forces exerted bythe warpparallel to the lay, the yielding means exerting a forcetransversely of the lay, and the reed being movable with the cloth asthe latter undergoes slight changes of position parallel to the lay.

8. In a-loom, a lay, a reed, supporting structure for the top of thereed, sliding connections between the structure and lay parallel to thelatter to render the reed movable at any time along the lay by forcesexerted by the warp parallel to the lay, and means to alter the positionof the con- 125 nections in a direction transverse of the lay.

9. Ina loom, a lay, a reed, supporting'structure to support thereed'from the top thereof, sliding connections between the structure andlay parallel to the latter, and means to alter the position of theconnections in a direction transverse of the cloth. 7

- l0. In a loom, a lay, a reed supported on the lay from a point abovethe cloth, a backstay for the reed, a support depending from the lay, a135 bracket secured to the support in adjusted vertical position, and alever pivoted to the bracket and having supporting relation withthe'backstay and movable with the bracket vertically independent ofthereed.

11. In a loom, a lay, a reed supported on the lay from a point above thecloth, a backstay for the reed, a support depending from the lay, abracket secured to the support'in adjusted vertical position, a leverpivoted to th'e'bracket and having supporting relation with the backstayand movable with the bracket vertically independent of the reed, andyielding connections carried by and interposed between the bracket andlever.

12. In a loom, a lay, a reed'supported on the 0 lay from a point abovethe cloth, a backstay for the reed, a support depending from the lay, a

bracket secured to the support in adjusted vertical position, a leverpivoted to the bracket and having supporting relation with the backstayand movable with the bracket vertically independent of the reed, andyielding connections carried by and interposed between the bracket andlever, said connections including a rigid element passing through partsof the bracket and lever.

13. In a loom, a lay, a reed supported on the lay from a point above thecloth,a backstay for the reed, a support depending from the lay, .a.bracket secured to the support in adjusted vertical position, and aconnection between the bracket and backstay to cause the bracket andconnection to move together vertically, independently of the reed.

14. In a loom having a lay movable forwardly toward the fell of thecloth, a pivotal support on the lay above the cloth, a reed supportingstructure above the cloth mounted to move about said pivotal support,said structure having a member T-shaped in cross section with a verticalweb, a reed, and means to clamp a portion of the reed against thevertical web in any one of a plurality of vertical. positions.

15. In a loom having a lay movable forwardly toward the fell of thecloth, means defining a pair of spaced substantially parallel verticalsurfaces one above and the other below the fell of thecloth, a reedhaving top and bottom ribs, means to clamp the top rib against thesurface above the fell and thereby support the reed from above the fell,and a yieldable backstay to hold the lower rib against the lowersurfaces, said reed ribs capable of assuming any one of a plurality ofvertical positions relatively to their respective surfaces.

16. In a loom, a lay, a reed, a reed supporting structure having avertical surface, means to' clamp the top of the reed against saidsurface in any one of several vertical positions relatively to thestructure and thereby supportthe reed from above the cloth, and means tosecure the structure to the lay in anyone of several vertical positionsrelatively to the lay.

17. In a loom, a lay, a reed supported on the lay from apoint abovethelfell of the cloth, a baekstay for the reed, a support depending fromthe lay, a'bracket secured'to the support in adjusted vertical positionand bearing against the reed below the fell, a lever pivoted to thebracket and having supporting relation with the backstay,'and a warpsupporting rod extending longitudinally of .the lay and supported by thebackstay.

18. In a loom, a lay, areed, a backstay, a warp supporting rod on thebackstay to engage and position the warp to determine the position ofthe cloth relatively to the reed, supporting means for the reed abovethe cloth to hold the reed in' fixed position relatively to the lay, andmeans to vary the position of the backstay and rod relatively to thereed independently of the support- 'ing means to change the relation ofthe cloth and reed.

e 19. In a loom, a lay, a reed, supporting structure for the reed, andsliding connections between the structure and lay lying outside thecloth space, said structure'being responsive to strains parallel to thelay and exerted by'the warpat any time during the weaving operation.

20. In a loom having a lay, a reed supported against gravity from apoint above the cloth, a backstay. supported from a point below thecloth, a warp support mounted on the backstay, and means to hold thebackstay and support in any one of a plurality of positions with respectto and independentlyof the reed.

ELBRIDGEVR, HOLMES.

